Patent GB-504331-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to hop picking machines
IPC: A01D46/02
Filed: 1938-08-13
Abstract: 504,331. Harvesting hops. STEVENS, A. H. (Clemens Horst Co., E.) Aug. 13, 1938, No. 23934. [Class 6 (iii)] A hop-picking machine comprises a number of revolving drums mounted in a frame above a number of belts, both drums and belts being provided with picking fingers, a carrier travelling between the drums and the belts and provided with means for gripping hop bines and pulling them through the machine, the belts being inclined upwardly and spaced apart so that the bines drop after passing each belt and so become spread out. The carrier comprises a pair of endless chains 4 between which bars 5 extend each fitted with two devices for gripping the bines. The bines are first drawn over two picking belts 17 inclined as shown and then between the picking drums 14 and other belt 17, the drums 14 being carried on a pivoted frame 31 so that their distance from the upper ends of the belt can be adjusted, the first drum being the farthest from the belts. After passing between the drums and the belts, the carrier passes over another picking belt 18, that is inclined in the reverse direction to the other belts, and then inclines downwardly passing under another picking drum 15, finally passing under a guide pulley 8 to become horizontal once more. In this horizontal stretch, the carrier travels between horizontal picking belts 19 and upper picking drums 16 mounted in pivoted frames that have counterweights 37 ; these frames are also provided with cam-shaped shoes that engage each bar 5 as the carrier chains move along and lift the drums clear to permit the passage of the bar, the drums, however, falling immediately the bar has passed so that the fingers engage the bines. The picked bines are released as they pass over a transverse belt 90 provided with long spokes on its surface, these spokes engaging the bines so that the conveyer can discharge them at the side of the machine. Each gripping device comprises a pivoted jaw 56 provided with a handle 57 and normally held open by a spring 58 ; after the end of a bine has been looped round the jaw the handle 57 is pulled permitting a sleeve 59 to be pressed forward by a spring 60 so locking the jaw in closed position. The jaws are automatically opened after the bines have been stripped by spring-pressed pivoted rods 80 adapted to engage the sleeves 59 and to push them back. The picked hops fall on the crossbars of the belts and are carried round until they fall on and through a travelling belt 40 provided with large diamond-shaped meshes through which the picked hops fall to separator belts 64 below but which retain broken pieces of the bines and clusters of hops so that the hops thereon may be picked by the lingers on the lower sides of the bolts 17, 18, 19. The separator belts are formed by endless chains provided with lugs to which plates 69, covered with burlap or similar material, are secured. The hops falling on the steeply inclined slopes of the belts, slip downwardly, but leaves adhere to the surface and are carried upwardly and discharged into a conveyer 72, this adhesion and upward movement being increased by an air blast from a pipe 73.